Wet shoes - what to do?

In winter, a third is added to the “two eternal woes”: wet shoes. If you haven’t even experienced it once in the snow or rain, it means that you are clearly not walking along our streets. Everyone knows that wet feet are not just an annoying nuisance, this is an occasion to get rid of temperature and a runny nose. So that this fate does not suffer you, it is worth taking care of the problem in advance. As they say, prepare the cart in the winter, and shoes for slushy weather in the summer. In this article, once and for all we solve the question: shoes get wet - what to do?

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More shoes - lower quality

Paradox: the wider the range of shoes in our stores, the more actively consumers complain about its quality. And there is one simple reason. In Soviet times, Vneshobuvtorg employees carried boots and boots from abroad. These were specialists who were well versed in quality and knew what to choose for our wet snowy winters and poorly cleaned streets.

Now, shoes are being taken from everywhere, everyone who is not lazy. Intermediaries are less focused on quality, and look more at the price - the lower the better. Therefore, when meeting with the first puddle, boots - so comfortable and beautiful - begin to get wet, and tons of curses are pouring on manufacturers and sellers. We have to urgently solve the problem: winter shoes get wet - what to do?

Important! Next time, when choosing shoes, be more reasonable, be careful about quality control. And our tips in the following articles will help you with this:

• How to choose shoes from nubuck?
• How to choose shoes from suede?
• How to choose shoe size?
• How to choose quality shoes?

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Emergency measures

If the trouble has already happened, and you came home with wet legs, then you should immediately take emergency measures to try to save your shoes:

1. Do not place wet boots or boots on the battery or other heating devices. Under the influence of high temperatures, any material of which the shoes are made will be completely and irreparably damaged.
2. Drying shoes is better as follows. Remove any dirt from the surface and fill it with old newspapers or paper. It absorbs excess moisture and maintains its shape.
3. Drying shoes is under natural temperature conditions. You can put it next to the battery, but at a remote distance. Sometimes it may take two days to fully dry. If you want to keep your pair, then you should wait this time.
4. If it so happened that the shoes still shriveled and lost their shape, then it is necessary to hold it over the steam, then fill it with newspapers and dry it completely.

Now you need to deal with the reasons in order to understand how to make sure that the shoes do not get wet:

• If your sole has peeled off, it means that the manufacturer did not pay due attention to quality, but glued it to the base using the cheapest material. In this situation, only contacting a shoe workshop will help. If you are accustomed to do everything to the maximum with your own hands, you can try to restore the integrity of the pair with the help of our tips from the article "How to stick shoes?".
• If the sole is in place, then it is quite possible that moisture gets inside due to poor-quality seams, or barely noticeable holes and cracks. With such shoes, the road to the workshop is also where the boots get wet on the complaint - what to do, you will be asked to put patches on.
• If your shoes are expensive, you were guided by a well-known brand when buying, then this does not always solve the problem in the bud. The chemicals that our streets sprinkle in abundance can kill even the strongest boots in one winter. Salvation in this case is, again, a trip to the workshop.
• Cracks in your shoes may appear if they are made from synthetic materials. From frost, artificial leather simply cracks, as a result - shoes lose their “moisture resistance”.

Important! What to prevent the shoes from getting wet in the winter? The easiest way is to take it to a shoe workshop immediately after purchase. There you will be offered a service such as reinforcing the sole. This preventive measure will help to compact the sole, protect it from rapid abrasion and give anti-slip properties. And to give even more strength to your boots and boots, ask the master to strengthen the seams or, if they are not, then sew the sole to the base. Then many problems can be avoided.

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Prevention

In order to urgently not have to decide the question of how to make sure that the shoes do not get wet, take care of solving the problem in advance. Immediately after buying shoes. In stores today you can find hundreds of different products that will help protect winter shoes. They differ in composition:

1. Animal fats are usually found in various shoe creams. This eliminates the unpleasant odor of the product - it can be used even indoors. When you apply such products, the shoes are covered with a thin film. It is she who repels particles of water, dirt and dust.
2. Various emulsions produced by manufacturers contain chemical additives. Therefore, such sprays have an unpleasant aroma and it is better to apply them outdoors. This is about the cons. The main plus of such products for shoes - they provide protection not only from moisture and dirt. It is the chemical components that prevent the appearance of small cracks.

Important! If you decide to give preference to store products, take a look at the quality products described in our review "The best water-repellent impregnation".

Before using this or that remedy, it is worth knowing the features of applying a spray or cream specifically on winter shoes:

• If you want to avoid getting wet your boots or boots, then buy a spray based on the fact that you will have to process the shoes three times. Between the application of each layer of water-repellent substances, you need to withstand a long pause - a day. But it's worth it, because the triple application method gives maximum protection
• Any product must be sprayed at a distance of 20-30 cm from the boot to ensure uniform application. This should be done until the substance is no longer actively absorbed into the material.
• If you do not use water repellent on new shoes, clean and dry your shoes first. It also needs to be thoroughly dried, recall, this must be done away from heating appliances.

Important! It should be remembered that not every product is suitable for any type of shoe. It is worth buying creams and sprays strictly for a certain type:

• So, for example, the cream can not be used for suede or fabric. A separate rating will help you choose good cream for leather shoes.
• Oil or spray does not need to be applied to leatherette, as it does not absorb these substances.

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The best store protection products:

• Salamander Universal SMS. This spray protects shoes from dirt and moisture, improves appearance. Suitable for leather, textile and suede. True, it has one drawback - a strong unpleasant odor.
• Ecco. This is a unique effective spray that protects against moisture with dirt and does not interfere with the air exchange of the material. It features instant drying and is economically consumed.
• Collonil Nanopro. The revolutionary spray based on fluorocarbon compounds is a real find for leather, textiles, nubuck, velor.Creates the thinnest and imperceptible, absolutely impenetrable and deep film on shoes. It is spent very economically.
• KiwiAquaStop. This spray is suitable for leather and nubuck, as well as for suede, textile and artificial leather. Reliably protects shoes (dirt, moisture and reagents), dries quickly, restores appearance, fits easily in a bag.
• Salamander Cream Fat nourishing skin cream. Powerful water-repellent properties, shine restoration, shading, economy, natural wax in the composition, the absence of a sharp chemical smell.
• Grangers G-Wax. A very effective cream-impregnation for rough skin. Purpose - cleaning and protection against moisture and salt. It is based on beeswax.
• SMS Olvist. High-quality Swedish impregnation for 100% protection against moisture and dirt. Designed for leather, textile. Fully approved by buyers.

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The best folk remedies

The problem is getting wet shoes - what to do, buyers have been faced for more than a dozen years. And during this time many folk remedies have accumulated, the so-called life hacks today. We have collected for you the most popular and reliable:

1. Mix 50 g of lamb fat, the same amount of linseed oil and 1 g of ordinary turpentine. Fat must first be melted. We apply a still warm mixture with a soft cloth to your shoes and wait until the composition is absorbed.
2. For this method, you can use wax or paraffin - you need to take 30 g. Then melt it over low heat and pour oil from flax into the mass. We also apply the composition to the shoes with a soft cloth and wait for absorption.
3. If your boots or shoes are made of rough leather, then it can be treated with ordinary castor oil. Rub it into the surface and polish it. For thin skin, this tool should not be used, castor oil will ruin it.
4. For the next recipe, you will need 20 g of beeswax, 15 g of turpentine and 50 g of chopped rosin. We mix all the components, also rub into the surface of your shoes.
5. The fifth method includes 4 components: about 20 g of glycerin, 40 g of fish oil, 30 g of turpentine, 10 g of beeswax. Mix the last 3 ingredients and melt the mass over low heat. After - add glycerin and process your boots or shoes.
6. Any animal fat needs to be melted over a small fire, then add the same amount of castor oil to it. The mixture is applied to shoes and to the seams, carefully impregnating the surface.
7. Probably the easiest way. We take wax or paraffin, we rub with a candle the entire surface of your shoes. Then we heat this film with a hairdryer, it is absorbed, and we get a kind of mask. The recipe is quick and reliable. But it must be constantly repeated.

Important! There is another old-fashioned way to make sure that the shoes do not get wet in the winter and retain their original appearance. Only suitable for skin and not suitable for smokers. Wet shoes need to be wiped with kerosene. After drying, shoes or boots will shine like brand new.

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How to choose winter shoes?

The best advice if your shoes get wet is what to do - buy two or three pairs of shoes for the winter. If your budget does not allow you to fork out, then the choice of one pair - practical, high-quality, protecting against dampness, must be approached very carefully. Therefore, remember the main rules:

• Thick and dense skin will give more reliable protection against moisture;
• A thick and high sole also reduces the chance of moisture getting inside;
• High side at the sole provides high moisture resistance;
• If the shoe too tightly fits the foot, it means - it will quickly stretch, respectively - will lose moisture resistance.

World standards for the quality of shoes do not provide for moisture tests of products. But you yourself can conduct a similar test right at the counter. It is enough to pay attention to the method of attaching the sole to the top of the boot. According to experts, this particular junction is the most vulnerable spot.

1. The glue-piercing method is incompatible with moisture and dampness.A seam that runs along the entire perimeter leaves small holes. Through them, moisture also gets inside. Looks like a line, especially made with contrasting threads, very stylish. However, not intended for wet weather.
2. Most often, manufacturers use the adhesive method. The sole in this case is simply glued to the upper part of the shoe. Tightness is good, but moisture resistance with this method is average. In autumn or winter, such shoes are good if they have a thick sole. Moisture simply does not reach the junction.
3. Least of all problems is shoes that are made using the glue-injection method. Specialists call it the liquid molding method. In the process, the upper part of the shoe is first made, then it is lowered into a special mold, and the sole is already formed in it. The tightness of such boots or boots is excellent.

Important! If you purchased expensive shoes for the winter, and it got wet in the first week of winter, you have every right to contact the seller and demand a refund or an equivalent exchange.

It is recommended to keep the check! If the seller refuses, according to the law, you can insist on conducting an independent examination procedure and sue, demanding reimbursement of all your costs, the amount spent on shoes, as well as moral damages.

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Stock footage

Now you know what to do so that the shoes do not get wet in the winter. We introduced you to both emergency methods and prevention. If you adhere not only to expert opinion, but also to people's advice, your winter shoes can last you several seasons, while it will look like brand new.